LETTER, GOVERNOR GERARD SMITH TO SEPTIMUS BURT UPON RETIREMENT FROM PUBLIC OFFICE

Correspondence pertaining to the retirement from public office of Septimus Burt.

a) Letter from Governor Gerard Smith, handwritten across four pages, to Septimus Burt upon his retirement. Letter has black border and English crest with words 'Government House Perth Western Australia'. The letter thanks Burt for his “many years of labour” for the Colony and advising him that his services to “Queen and country” have been mentioned in a despatch to the Colonial Office (copy enclosed) as a testimony. Dated 29 Oct 1897.

b) Cream coloured envelope with black border. Matching design to stationery used for letter. English crest on back flap, front has Burt’s name on it with some other notations but no address, suggesting this correspondence was forwarded internally from the Governor’s office. There is a stamp in purple at the lower left of the front of the envelope reproducing the Governor's signature, "Gerard Smith". The envelope is worn along the edges and on the corners, cream coloured card shows signs of dirt and discolouration and rust damage from a rusty paper clip on the front.

c) Typed copy of despatch to Joseph Chamberlain, Secretary of State for the Colonies, from Governor Gerard Smith regarding the resignation of Septimus Burt as Attorney General. Dated 28 Oct 1897. The text is on the front page of a single sheet of white paper that has been folded in half vertically Smith’s signature is on the bottom of this page and at the top the word “Copy” has been handwritten.
There are two more lateral folds indicating the document was in the past then folded again into thirds

Affixed to the back page is a newspaper cutting (2 columns cut out neatly) 'PARLIAMENT/ LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY/ WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 27/ The SPEAKER took the Chair at 7.30pm/ MR BURT'S RESIGNATION.' The newspaper has caused staining where it is resting against the adjoining page.